Thermal barrier coatings are a class of insulating coatings designed for application to metal surfaces that operate at elevated temperatures. For example, in certain industries, such as the automotive industry, the advent of new materials and advanced thermomechanical systems along with an interest in exhaust heat management has created a need for certain metal component parts to be able to endure intense heat and thermal loading over a prolonged period of time. The internal combustion engine and the engine exhaust system are two notable systems within an automobile where thermal barrier coatings can be useful due to the temperatures associated with combusting an air/fuel mixture and the management of combustion byproducts. Thermal barrier coatings are theoretically well suited for these and other applications since they can effectively limit the thermal exposure of the underlying metal and prevent heat from escaping to the surrounding ambient environment, which can extend the life of the component part and improve system efficiencies. While a variety of thermal barrier coatings are already known, the pursuit of new thermal barrier coatings and related techniques for applying those coatings to simple and complex part surfaces is ongoing.